Mum left feeling 'ashamed' after being refused entry to Aldi with autistic son

Kate Taylor Brown, 45, from Thornton, says she was prevented from taking her autistic son shopping with her at the Thornton Aldi store despite being his carer (Image: Kate Taylor Brown)

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A mum was left feeling "ashamed" after being refused entry to Aldi with her autistic son.

Kate Taylor Brown, 45, from Thornton, visited the Thornton store with her son Declan McGrane, 21, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), on Friday, April 3.

Aldi have now apologised for stopping Kate and Declan shopping together, despite Kate claiming she told staff she was his designated carer.

Kate says when she entered the store, Declan was not allowed in with her and was instead told he had to go to the back of the queue on his own.

Kate Taylor Brown, 45, from Thornton, says she was prevented from taking her autistic son shopping with her at the Thornton Aldi store despite being his carer (Image: Kate Taylor Brown)

When Kate protested to the security guard and explained her son's disability and that she was his carer, she says her son was still refused entry to the store.

Despite her protestations, she had to make Declan wait in the car while she completed her shop.

Kate says the experience left their son anxious and nervous about leaving the house and embarrassed about his condition.

Speaking to the ECHO Kate said: "We queued up together and waited until we got to the front. I grabbed a trolley and went into the store expecting Declan to be just behind me.

"I was allowed in but I turned around a saw my son had been stopped at the door by security.

"I confronted the security guard and he said the store wasn't allowing people to come in in groups.

"I tried to explain that my son has ASD and that I was his carer and that was why he was with me but it fell on deaf ears.

"I even showed the letter of his diagnosis and a letter from the carer's centre to prove I was a carer but they still did not allow Declan to come in with me and he was told to go the back of the queue."